Thursday Movie Picks: Clones/Doppelgänger

Attack of the Sequels Blogathon

Rhys at Feeling Fuzzier is hosting the Attack of the Sequels Blogathon. It's his very first venture into the world of blogathons. Hopefully, he'll get plenty of submissions. As a matter of fact, you should swing by his site so you can participate. Yup, you. The way this one works is...well, I'll let him explain it in his own words...

1. Pick up to 5 films that you enjoyed, but never got a follow-up film. You can include films that are already sequels (e.g.Hellboy 2: The Golden Army). Doesn't matter how ridiculous it may sound. 

2. Talk about why you'd like to see a sequel to those movies, and where said sequels would take the story.

3. Please include the blogathon banner (above) somewhere in your post.

4. The deadline is August 7th - but I'm sure I'll go easy on any late submissions ;)

Ok...

Ok...

I'm thinking...

Ok.

Got it.

I would really love to see...

For me, 1999's Mystery Men is a movie ahead of its time. Like 2010's Kick-Ass, it takes a look at comic book and superhero culture from a subversive, yet still respectful viewpoint. I found it very funny and maintain that it is some of Ben Stiller's best work. He's hardly carrying the film on his own, though. The cast around him is very capable and very game including the always awesome William H. Macy. There's also Hank Azaria, Paul Ruebens, Greg Kinnear, Eddy Izzard, Lena Olin, Artie Lange, Geoffrey Rush, and a perfectly cast Janeane Garofalo. It also did the team thing before anyone realistically thought we'd have an Avengers movie, much less one for Guardians of the Galaxy. The most important reason for me wanting another one, however, is that the movie plays like their first adventure together of many to come. Hollywood, do it now!

No?

How 'bout this one...

2000's Romeo Must Die was my first experience with Jet Li as the star of the show. He completely blew me away in 1998's Lethal Weapon 4 (no, I don't really want another of those, in case you were thinking it) and I loved him, here. It's not the greatest movie ever, but it's a fun one. There is some family thing going on with in-fighting amongst the Chinese gangsters who were also feuding with the black gangsters. Mixed in to it all was a rather tepid, but cute love story concerning Li and leading lady Trish, played by the late songstress Aaliyah. Hmmm, the fact that she has since passed away poses a problem. I think I have a solution. We catch up with our hero shortly after the love of his life has been murdered. Not only does he want to avenge her death, but the people who killed her are also after him. Therefore, Romeo Must Die...Again! I'm a genius.

Not feeling that one, either?

This last one is going to floor you...

Oh, wait...

Never mind. I meant...

Way back in 1995, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson played foster brothers who were also both New York City transit cops. Snipes is straight as an arrow, while Harrelson has a serious gambling problem. On top of that, they both have a thing for J-Lo. Hey, me too! Ahem...sorry. Anyhoo, it was full of action and our two male leads displayed plenty of chemistry giving us some good laughs. Sure, it was one of a million Lethal Weapon knock-offs, but I enjoyed it all the same. Our three principals are still around and presumably up to doing an action flick. I'm up for another ride. How 'bout you?

The Expendables

Directed by Sylvester Stallone.
2010. Rated R, 103 minutes.
Cast:
Sylvester Stallone
Jason Statham
Jet Li
Giselle Itié
Dolph Lundgren
Mickey Rourke
Eric Roberts
Terry Crews
Randy Couture
Steve Austin
Bruce Willis

Plot: A group of mercenaries are hired to take out the dictator of a banana republic on a tiny South American island. Everything going boom ensues.

The Good: Whenever there was shooting and/or explosions. The action is what we came for and it is very well done in that over the top, goofy way many of Stallone’s movies are. Bodies get ripped apart. There’s lots of yelling and killing everyone in a building is never enough. Through some form of pyrotechnics, the building has to be destroyed, too. Although Sly is the writer, director and star, he’s wise enough to let Jason Statham do most of the heavy lifting. The star of the Crank and Transporter franchises has many of the best scenes, here. The other “best” moments go to Mickey Rourke. He’s just so good, he makes Stallone’s dialogue feel Shakespearean. There are also a few nice comedic moments. Surprisingly, they tend to involve Jet Li. Also squeezed in is a funny scene that really should’ve been cut for adding nothing to the movie, except for the fact that Stallone finally shares the screen for a brief moment with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Bad: Too much downtime. This is a movie that really should’ve been non-stop action. However, too much time is spent on the bromance between Stallone and Statham and a bunch of grown men whining about their problems. It really makes time between action scenes pass too slowly. Also, a couple of our expendables are even more expendable than the others. If we’re going to have all this talking going on, how is it two guys on the team (Crews and Couture) barely get any screen time?

The Ugly: I love Terry Crews but I kept wondering why Carl Weathers didn’t get that role.

Recommendation: It’s a Sly Stallone special: loud, excessive and goofy. Judge accordingly. I like it well enough, but I’m not blown away by it.

The Opposite View: Mike Scott, New Orleans Times-Picayune

What the Internet Says: 7.1/10 on imdb.com (9/14/10), 40% on rottentomatoes.com, 45/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6/10